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Stroke risk 'upped by hopelessness' in women

Hopelessness in women could lead to a greater chance of having a stroke, it has been said.

In the research, scientists looked into the lives of 559 healthy women with an average age of 50 who did not show any signs of clinical cardiovascular disease.

After a range of questionnaires, the study discovered there to be a consistent and linear association between rising levels of hopelessness and increasing neck artery thickness.

Dr Susan A Everson-Rose, the principal investigator of the study and the associate director of the Program in Health Disparities Research, explained that many studies beforehand had shown that cardiovascular disease in men and women had been linked to hopelessness.

She continued: "However, this is the first study to suggest that hopelessness may be related to subclinical cardiovascular disease in women without clinical symptoms of heart disease and who are generally healthy."

Earlier this month, Tamiflu was linked to a greater stroke risk, with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) highlighting its concern with the drug and how it can interact with warfarin, which is taken to thin the blood.